SN 12-21 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With Causation – Nidānavaggasaṁyutta > SN 19 Connected Discourses with Lakkhaṇa – Lakkhaṇasaṁyutta > SN 19.1 A Skeleton

Linked Discourses 19.1 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 19.1

Chapter One – 1. Paṭhamavagga

SN 19.1 A Skeleton – Aṭṭhisutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

Now at that time Venerable Lakkhaṇa and Venerable Mahāmoggallāna were staying on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca lakkhaṇo āyasmā ca mahāmoggallāno gijjhakūṭe pabbate viharanti.

Then Mahāmoggallāna robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Lakkhaṇa and said to him,

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yenāyasmā lakkhaṇo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ lakkhaṇaṁ etadavoca:

“Come, Reverend Lakkhaṇa, let’s enter Rājagaha for alms.”

“āyāmāvuso lakkhaṇa, rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pavisissāmā”ti.

“Yes, reverend,” Lakkhaṇa replied.

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā lakkhaṇo āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa paccassosi.

As Mahāmoggallāna was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain he smiled at a certain spot.

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno gijjhakūṭā pabbatā orohanto aññatarasmiṁ padese sitaṁ pātvākāsi.

So Lakkhaṇa said to Mahāmoggallāna,

Atha kho āyasmā lakkhaṇo āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

“What is the cause, Reverend Moggallāna, what is the reason you smiled?”

“ko nu kho, āvuso moggallāna, hetu ko paccayo sitassa pātukammāyā”ti?

“Reverend Lakkhaṇa, it’s the wrong time for this question.

“Akālo kho, āvuso lakkhaṇa, etassa pañhassa.

Ask me when we’re in the Buddha’s presence.”

Bhagavato maṁ santike etaṁ pañhaṁ pucchā”ti.

Then Lakkhaṇa and Mahāmoggallāna wandered for alms in Rājagaha. After the meal, on their return from almsround, they went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Lakkhaṇa said to Mahāmoggallāna:

Atha kho āyasmā ca lakkhaṇo āyasmā ca mahāmoggallāno rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā lakkhaṇo āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

“Just now, as Mahāmoggallāna was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain he smiled at a certain spot.

“idhāyasmā mahāmoggallāno gijjhakūṭā pabbatā orohanto aññatarasmiṁ padese sitaṁ pātvākāsi.

What is the cause, Reverend Moggallāna, what is the reason you smiled?”

Ko nu kho, āvuso moggallāna, hetu ko paccayo sitassa pātukammāyā”ti?

“Just now, reverend, as I was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain I saw a skeleton flying through the air.

“Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, gijjhakūṭā pabbatā orohanto addasaṁ aṭṭhikasaṅkhalikaṁ vehāsaṁ gacchantiṁ.

Vultures, crows, and hawks kept chasing it, pecking and clawing

Tamenaṁ gijjhāpi kākāpi kulalāpi anupatitvā anupatitvā phāsuḷantarikāhi vitudenti vitacchenti virājenti.

as it screeched in pain.

Sā sudaṁ aṭṭassaraṁ karoti.

It occurred to me:

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi:

‘It’s incredible, it’s amazing!

‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.

That there can be such a sentient being,

Evarūpopi nāma satto bhavissati.

such an entity,

Evarūpopi nāma yakkho bhavissati.

such an incarnation!’”

Evarūpopi nāma attabhāvapaṭilābho bhavissatī’”ti.

Then the Buddha said to the bhikkhū:

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Bhikkhū, there are disciples who live full of vision and knowledge,

“cakkhubhūtā vata, bhikkhave, sāvakā viharanti;

since a disciple knows, sees, and witnesses such a thing.

ñāṇabhūtā vata, bhikkhave, sāvakā viharanti, yatra hi nāma sāvako evarūpaṁ ñassati vā dakkhati vā sakkhiṁ vā karissati.

Formerly, I too saw that being, but I did not speak of it.

Pubbeva me so, bhikkhave, satto diṭṭho ahosi, api cāhaṁ na byākāsiṁ.

For if I had spoken of it others would not have believed me,

Ahañcetaṁ byākareyyaṁ, pare ca me na saddaheyyuṁ.

which would be for their lasting harm and suffering.

Ye me na saddaheyyuṁ, tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya.

That being used to be a cattle butcher right here in Rājagaha.

Eso, bhikkhave, satto imasmiṁyeva rājagahe goghātako ahosi.

As a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years. Now he experiences the residual result of that deed in such an incarnation.”

So tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccitvā tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena evarūpaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayatī”ti.

(All these discourses should be expanded like this.)

(Sabbesaṁ suttantānaṁ eseva peyyālo.)